Chapter 38 He's Nothing But Trouble
Isabella was caught completely off guard. She turned to find William's possessive gaze fixed on her, his arm wrapped around her shoulders like he was claiming ownership, pulling her firmly against his chest.
"No need to trouble yourself, she has everything she needs with me."
Complete nonsense!
Isabella had no idea where William found the audacity to make such bold declarations in front of Richard.
Richard straightened up, his brow furrowing with obvious displeasure as he looked at William. "William, at the very least, you should respect Ms. Capulet's own wishes."
Despite his annoyance, Richard maintained his characteristic gentle politeness, a stark contrast to William's domineering rudeness.
Isabella struggled uncomfortably, but William's grip on her shoulder only tightened.
"This is a private matter between my wife and me. No need for your concern." William's face carried a hint of cold disdain as he glanced at Richard, then attempted to drag Isabella away.
Isabella continued fighting against his hold, trying to break free from William's grasp.
But with his firm grip pressing down on her shoulder, she couldn't move even an inch.
Isabella found herself being pulled away from Richard, further and further, until they reached William's car.
As soon as he opened the door, Isabella pressed her hand against it, meeting William's gaze with icy defiance.
"What exactly do you think you're doing?" Isabella asked coldly.
The driver sat in the car, completely accustomed to their arguments by now, staring straight ahead without even a sideways glance.
William caught Isabella's wrist with one hand while casually sliding the other into his pocket, his expression clearly displeased.
"Isabella," he said, his voice cold and low, "You can get in the car on your own, or wait for me to carry you in."
Two choices—Isabella didn't want either.
She looked around, searching for an escape route, but realized they were deep in the parking garage with virtually no one around.
At this hour, most of the nightclub's patrons hadn't emerged yet. The area was eerily quiet—Isabella could only hear the hum of William's car engine.
Her expression grew thoughtful as she considered the most convenient way to escape.
William let out a cold laugh first. "By all means, try it. Let's see if you can run faster than I can catch you."
His eyebrows arched slightly, his face full of mockery.
Isabella's physical fitness wasn't terrible, but William was exceptionally athletic even among men, not to mention the absolute difference in their strength.
Not wanting any further physical contact with William, Isabella reluctantly got into the car, immediately scooting to the far end of the seat to put as much distance between them as possible.
Despite being married, they acted like strangers.
"Stay away from Richard."
As the car pulled out of the bar's parking garage, William suddenly spoke, his tone casual.
Isabella pressed her lips together, stubbornly gazing out at the night scenery. "Mr. Spencer and I have a purely professional relationship."
"Professional?" William scoffed. "What exactly do you think you have that Richard would find so appealing?"
"Sure, you're a graduate from a prestigious university working on research projects, but there are plenty of people more qualified than you. You graduated six years ago—finding someone more accomplished than you in this city would be effortless. You think Richard can't live without you?"
The statement sounded like a joke.
Infinity Ventures Corporation was a leading domestic company, after all. If Richard couldn't even recruit a couple of top experts in renewable energy, he might as well close shop and delist.
When it came to her professional field, Isabella finally turned to face him, her gaze equally cold.
Her inability to continue the research she'd started years ago remained Isabella's deepest wound.
"My biggest regret is choosing to marry you six years ago."
If it weren't for Olivia, Isabella might even regret having had a child.
Thinking about how she'd sacrificed her career for family, only to end up with this result, filled Isabella with profound regret.
Just as she finished speaking, William's phone rang.
In the darkness of the car, Isabella immediately spotted the contact name on the screen.
Laura.
That name was so jarring, like a constant reminder forcing Isabella to remember everything she'd lost because of that woman.
William looked irritated, rubbing his temples before hanging up on Laura's call directly.
Isabella's lips curved into a mocking smile. "Didn't you once say true love was everything? How long has it been, and your great romance has already fallen apart?"
Using the best years of her life to gamble on a man's faithfulness—what kind of outcome could that possibly have? Isabella was a living example.
If Laura had any sense at all, she should realize that William wasn't a man worth trusting.
Today, he might love Laura, but tomorrow he could easily fall for someone else.
The novelty and excitement of extramarital affairs would never disappear.
For a wealthy, powerful man, the choice of who to be with would always be his alone.
Laura called again, the phone's vibration unusually clear in the quiet air.
This time, he finally answered.
Laura's voice sounded particularly frantic on the other end. "William, where are you?"
"I got lost trying to find the exit, and now some guys have cornered me in the restroom. I can't get out. Could you please come help me?"
Even through the phone, Isabella could imagine Laura's expression from her pitiful voice.
A recent college graduate, naive about the world and unaware of human nature's darker side—who knew what could happen to her in a seedy bar like this?
No one dared imagine the potential consequences.
After hanging up, William had the driver pull over to the side of the road. He took a deep breath.
"What right do you have to be angry about Richard and me? You're just as entangled with Laura, and your relationship is already out in the open. What's the point of continuing this charade?"
"If we don't get divorced, are we planning to let our children deal with parents who've both had affairs and a completely broken home?"
Isabella found the entire situation absurdly ridiculous.
After speaking, she had the driver unlock the doors and pulled the handle open without hesitation, stepping out.
The evening wind caught Isabella's clothes, blowing her hair into messy strands across her face.
After a moment's hesitation, William ultimately told the driver to return to the bar.
No one could risk betting on Laura's safety, not even William.
Watching William's car speed away, Isabella's already despairing heart felt another sharp stab of pain.
The night wind made her current situation feel particularly desolate.
If this was how it would end, why had William insisted on forcing her to give up Richard's ride? He had never once considered things from Isabella's perspective or thought about what she might want.
"She has everything she needs with me."
The truth was, having him around was the worst thing that could happen to anyone!